1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, an image forming apparatus, an image forming method, a computer program, and a computer-readable storage medium, and more specifically to a data transmitting process.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, in an image forming system configured by a host computer and a color printer, the color printer receives document data from the host computer, converts the received data into image data at the printer side, and forms a color image. The image data has been converted at the printer side because the amount of data to be transferred becomes large, and the transfer speed and a resultant printing speed becomes low if the data is converted at the host computer side. Additionally, a large memory capacity is required at the printer side.
Recently, a printer for quickly outputting a color image such as a laser beam color printer of a 4-drum system having image forming units independently for the YMCK color components. The laser beam color printer of the 4-drum system forms an image with the images of the respective colors YMCK shifted by a time required to feed a printing paper between the respective drums. Furthermore, in the laser beam color printer of the 4-drum system, a page can be printed before the completion of the printing on the previous page, thereby realizing high-speed color printing.
In addition, the throughput of a host computer has been enhanced, a network circuit has become more powerful, and the transfer speed has largely been increased.